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C of I Newsletter

2012. 05. 25

headlines

Coyotes headed to NAIA World Series

The College of Idaho baseball team has advanced to the NAIA World Series for the first time since 2002! The No. 10 seed Coyotes open tournament play at 10 a.m. Friday (today), facing No. 7 seed Point Park (Pa.) at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho. Click here to read a World Series preview article from this week’s Idaho Press-Tribune, or read a full tournament preview – complete with ticket information and links to follow the games via live stats, live audio and live streaming video – in this week’s edition of Yote Notes. If you can’t go to Lewiston, be sure to follow the action on the C of I athletics website or on social media, including Facebook and Twitter. Good luck, Yotes!!!

Before making the trip to Lewiston, the team was invited to visit with Idaho Gov. Butch Otter '67 at the state Capitol. The team's pitching staff and resilient first baseman Jesse Dodd also were featured by the Idaho Press-Tribune leading up to the tournament.

The College of Idaho baseball team with Gov. Butch Otter '67 at the Capitol.

College of Idaho reinstates football program

The College of Idaho will welcome football back to its campus, a move that also establishes the only small college football program in the state of Idaho.

The Board of Trustees approved the reinstatement of the College’s football team at its May 10-11 meeting and the team is expected to begin play during the fall 2014 season. The Board stressed the desirability of conference affiliation in its vote, and President Marv Henberg and Athletic Director Marty Holly have been invited to a June meeting of Frontier Conference Presidents and Athletic Directors to pursue an application as an associate member to the conference, where C of I would compete in football only.

“Reinstating the College’s football program is an opportunity for us to extend our mission of providing an outstanding liberal arts education,” Henberg said. “There are many high school football players who want to continue playing at the collegiate level while they receive a high quality education. That is exactly what The College of Idaho offers.”

Meetings were held with the College’s students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends during the spring semester to gather feedback. Henberg said a variety of factors were weighed by the board in making its final decision, including the impact on student life, alumni engagement, revenue and College-community relations.

The College will launch immediately an intensive fundraising campaign to defray capital expenses and startup costs associated with football.

“We believe that football is going to be a shot of adrenaline for The College of Idaho and for the Treasure Valley,” Henberg said. “Football games and the associated activities will bring our students, alumni and staff together in celebration, and offer Treasure Valley residents a new opportunity to watch small college football. I believe that fundraising for football will be successful and complementary to the other aspirations in our comprehensive Advance The Legacy Campaign, which has to date produced $134 million toward our 2016 campaign goal of $175 million.”

Holly noted that there is a wealth of talented high school football players in Idaho and neighboring states.

“There are many smart, young student-athletes who want to play football and would love a chance to play near their families and get an education that will set them up for a lifetime of success,” Holly said. “Our student-athletes thrive in the classroom and in competition, and we’re committed to doing the same with football.”

The C of I football team anticipates playing in Simplot Stadium near campus and would add to the current 19 men’s and women’s varsity teams competing in the NAIA and USCSA. The College had a football program for more than 60 years before it was disbanded in the late 1970s and has sent four of its alumni to the NFL – R.C. Owens, Thomas Winbigler, Bob Morford, Joe Kahahawai.

The College of Idaho’s Student Philanthropy Council recently awarded its 2012 grants to three organizations in the local community. This year’s grant recipients were the Mentoring Network, Caldwell Senior Citizens, Inc., and the Canyon County Organization on Aging. SPC President Michelle Wooten said the council chose organizations that benefited some of Caldwell’s most vulnerable populations.

The Mentoring Network is a service that pairs at-risk kids with adult mentors. The SPC grant will fund an annual day-camp for the kids and their mentors, providing a rare opportunity for the participants to interact during the summer months. The Mentoring Network focuses on improving kids’ self-esteem and test scores through positive interaction.

Caldwell Senior Citizens, Inc. provides resources and activities for the community’s senior population, including meals, games and exercise activities. The SPC grant will buy the organization a new kitchen food slicer, replacing old equipment that had become a safety hazard.

“The council likes the services that CSC has offered to many local senior citizens since 1974,” Wooten said. “And we are excited about how quickly our grant will have an impact.”

The Canyon Country Organization on Aging services elderly, disabled and financially distressed individuals through nine different programs. The program SPC supported with a grant was Prescription Assistance, which helped 187 clients in 2011. Occasionally, these clients need help obtaining prescription medications on an emergency basis. With the grant from SPC, CCOA is able to offer financial assistance at local pharmacies so emergency prescriptions can be filled for those needing immediate care.

“The Council chose this recipient based upon the large number of people affected, the immediacy with which our grant would impact those clients’ lives, and the importance of aiding some of the most vulnerable people in our community,” Wooten said.

Like many SPC members, Wooten has strong personal ties to the Caldwell community – she attended Caldwell High School and recently graduated from the C of I with a degree in anthropology and sociology.

The Student Philanthropy Council was formed in January 2006 after the College received a $30,000 grant from the Seagraves Family Foundation to promote philanthropy on campus. The SPC seeks to fund organizations that have a positive impact on the Caldwell community and an intangible benefit to the College. The SPC awards approximately $3,000 each year to deserving community organizations. For more information, please contact Barry Fujishin at bfujishin@collegeofidaho.edu.

C of I student wins National Science Foundation award

College of Idaho student Ben Tjaden has been accepted into the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of North Texas this summer. The eight-week course is funded by the NSF and offers students full room and board on campus, a $4,000 award and the opportunity to benefit from workshops in conjunction with research design and analysis on an international topic of their choice.

This year’s REU theme, “Civil Conflict Management and Peace Science,” is an ideal fit for Tjaden, a junior from Boise who is majoring in political economy with interests in ethnic and sub-state conflict and security issues. Tjaden plans to study the Kurdish population in the Middle East and gain valuable graduate-level experience as well as skills in technical research and presentation that he will use when delivering a paper on the subject at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference next April.

“There were only ten accepted students, so I was very surprised when I got the award,” Tjaden said. “I had put a lot of effort into the application process, so it felt rewarding. I am most looking forward to exploring the topic I chose and seeing how it develops.”

Coyote Callers wrap up another banner year

The College of Idaho’s student Coyote Callers have raised the bar for annual giving over the past five years, setting new records on a yearly basis.

Thanks to their hard work and the continued generosity of the College’s alumni base, the Coyote Callers had their best year yet in 2011-2012, raising $120,000 from 1,125 alumni, parents and friends. The callers worked 680 hours in total, raising $84,000 in the fall semester and another $36,000 in the spring.

“I have a phenomenal group of students,” said Tara Wensel, a 2009 C of I alumna who trains and works with the callers as the College’s Boone Fund director. “They are so thankful to be here at the College and they make sure our donors know that when they get to speak with them. And of course, we couldn’t be so successful without the support and generosity of our awesome alumni!”

The twice-per-year Coyote Caller phonathon is one of the main fundraising efforts for the Boone Fund, the College’s unrestricted annual fund that supports everything from student scholarships to faculty and staff salaries. Despite national declines in alumni giving, The College of Idaho has seen its alumni giving rate increase from 15 percent in 2007 to 36 percent last year. The C of I has a goal of 39 percent for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. To help us reach that goal, make a quick and easy online gift to the College at www.collegeofidaho.edu/makeagift.

news

Check out video highlights of the C of I 2012 commencement ceremony on YouTube, including class speaker Jon Weese, commencement speaker Dr. Joan Houston Hall and reflections by four members of the Class of 2012. Plus, see a story and photo gallery from the Idaho Press-Tribune and more than 300 commencement photos on the C of I Flickr page.

College of Idaho alumnus J. Eric Grunke '01 recently was honored as the Marine Corps Aviator of the Year for his role in a rescue mission in Libya. Grunke, a native Idahoan, was featured on the U.S. defense website dvids as well as on the front page of the Idaho Statesman.

The College of Idaho's May 14 announcement that the Coyote football team is being reinstated generated headlines near and far. The story made front-page news in the Idaho Statesman and the Idaho Press-Tribune, appeared on all four local TV news stations and was picked up by more than 50 media outlets across the country. Photos from the crowded press conference in Sterry Hall are available on the C of I Flickr page. Go Yotes!

College of Idaho alumnus Sam Elias '04 is part of a National Geographic team that climbed to the summit of Mount Everest this week. Elias is a professional climber and former Coyote skier. Read more about the trek on the C of I news blog, or see live coverage and photos of the team on National Geographic's website.

Congratulations to The College of Idaho's graduating Class of 2012! Professional commencement photos of each graduate are now available for viewing and purchase online. For more information, contact Pete Grady at (208) 703-7231 or petegradyphotography@gmail.com.

College of Idaho alumnus Don Haagensen (’67) was featured on the cover of the 2011 Oregon issue of Super Lawyers magazine. Haagensen is an environmental attorney with the firm Cable Huston Benedict Haagensen & Lloyd LLP in Portland. He is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and often uses his background in oceanography to help him tackle legal cases involving hydroelectric projects and other environmental issues.

College of Idaho alumni siblings Jeremy Johnson ’05 and Rachel Johnson ’03 are members of the Nashville bluegrass band The Barrel Jumpers, which hopes to record its first studio album this year. In order to secure a recording deal, the band is using a creative project funding platform called Kickstarter. Click to learn more and/or support the band, or visit The Barrel Jumpers’ Facebook page to meet the band members and listen to some sample tracks.

C of I alumnus Ray Lopes ’87 has been hired as an assistant coach of the Washington State University men’s basketball team. Lopes, who played basketball and majored in business administration at the C of I, has enjoyed a successful coaching career for more than 20 years, including head and assistant coaching positions at Fresno State University, the University of Idaho, Oklahoma University and the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Developmental League.

Local musician and C of I alumnus Sean Rogers '94 was recently featured by the Idaho Press-Tribune. Rogers is on tour this summer, playing concerts in more than 50 states.

The College of Idaho will host its annual Staff Association Yard Sale on May 31 and June 1 on the lawn in front of Terteling Library. If you have items to donate, bring them to the C of I facilities office or call (208) 459-5551. If you don't have items to donate, you can help by volunteering as a cashier, a "salesperson," a cart driver or a furniture mover! As always, all proceeds will go toward student scholarships at the College. We hope to see you there!

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